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Coconut Lemon “Lara” bars

I just discovered larabars. Like last week. Where on earth have I been? They are great! The ones I liked the most were the cashew date and the apple pie. So this recipe is more along the lines of the cashew one, but just add dried apples and they would would be your apple/date bars. I’ll try that next batch.

Ingredients are simple. I got this off a site called ‘bites for babies’. Go figure. I’m making baby food. I just added and took away a few things from hers like honey. I don’t know why you would want to add a sweetener to these, the dates make them plenty sweet enough!

Joe loved them and he is usually my seal of approval. Said they tasted like lemon meringue.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup packed dates (make sure to take the seeds out. I forgot and food processors really don’t like them)
* 1/2 cup shredded coconut
* 1/2 cup cashews (either roasted or plain. Not salted)
* 3 TB almond butter
* 1 TB coconut oil (not melted)
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/8 tsp sea salt
* zest of one lemon
* 1 TB squeezed lemon juice

1. Add all ingredients to your food processor and blend away!

2. One you have your desired consistency transfer to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth the ingredients so they are about 1/2 inch high. You can make it nice and even by pressing it down with an extra piece of parchment paper, also rolling the sides up.

3. Refrigerate about 2-3 hours until they are hard enough to cut into pieces. Wrap each one up in Saran Wrap and keep in the fridge until you have a sweet tooth or need a little burst of an energy bar!

(The picture is actually 2 batches. I bought a pound of dates and that ended up being about 2 cups so figured just make another batch- made about 14 bars)

I realize these shouldn’t be eaten everyday and in case of emergencies… But I like to have something on hand in my house in case this is something I NEED! Even half a bar is pretty satisfying.

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Posted by on July 13, 2014 in Breakfast, Lunch, Sides

 

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Paleo Lemon Artichoke Pesto Chicken “Pasta” with Spinach too!

artichokesWow, was this good! It tastes almost creamy but there is really nothing bad at all in this dish. No dairy or cheese, but almost feels like it should have some in it. Super healthy and has to be one of the top dishes I have made. This is a repeater for sure. I used ribbons of zucchini as my spaghetti but you can also use spaghetti squash or any type of stringy squash.

Indredients:
* 1 lb chicken cut up into little pieces
* 2 large zucchini’s. I used a curly peeler that makes them look like spaghetti
* 1 jar of artichoke hearts.
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1/2 cup Italian parsley
* 1/2 cup fresh basil
* 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
* 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil
* 4-5 tablespoons of vegetable broth
* 1/2 lemon juice
* 4 large handfuls of baby spinach
* salt/pepper

1. First thing I did was sprial cut the zucchini. Get a pot of water going and have that start to boil. Set aside for a while. You DO NOT want to overcook your spaghetti “noodles”. If you do, they will become mush. So this is the last thing you do.

2. In a saucepan add some olive oil, or butter. Melt down and then add one of your diced garlic pieces. When that just starts to become fragrant, add your artichoke hearts and cook these until they turn a tad brown or cooked well.

3. Add your walnuts, olive oil, clove of garlic, and vegetable broth in a food processor and puree until smooth. When the artichokes are done cooking, add them to the mixture and puree well.

4. Add your parsley, basil, and 1/2 juice of a lemon and mix until creamy smooth. If you like chunky artichokes in your sauce, then leave a few of those out and add at the very end, just chopping a little bit. Taste and if you like more of a lemon flavor, then add more lemon. Make sure to add a dash of salt and pepper to the mix as well!

5. Take your chicken and cut into small pieces. Add a little more olive oil or butter to your saucepan you cooked the artichokes in and cook your chicken until just brown on the sides. When your chicken is almost cooked, now is the time to drop your zucchini spaghetti into the water. Only leave in for a few minutes until soft. Think al dente, even though it isnt real pasta.

6. Add about 1/2 cup of the artichoke mixture to your chicken along with about 4 large handfuls of spinach. Cook until the spinach has wilted and become soft.

7. Add in your cooked ‘spaghetti’ and the remainder of the sauce to the saucepan. Mix well together until everything is combined.

8. Serve with a little fresh basil on top and one of the remaining artichoke hearts.

ENJOY!!

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Posted by on April 3, 2013 in Chicken, Dinner

 

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